The verdict in three sentences
In any firm (lawyers, consulting, agency, advisory), unlogged time is permanently lost revenue: it never comes back. A custom time-tracking and billing tool, at 25,000 to 70,000 EUR, captures that time and automates billing. The ROI is one of the fastest in business software: recovering 5 to 15% of billable revenue repays the tool in a few months.
The cost of unbilled time
The issue isn't the hourly rate but the volume of time actually billed. Here's the ballpark recoverable revenue by firm size.
| Firm profile | Current billable revenue | Estimated lost time | Recoverable revenue /yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 staff | 700,000 EUR | 12% | ~84,000 EUR |
| 10 staff | 1,500,000 EUR | 10% | ~150,000 EUR |
| 20 staff | 3,200,000 EUR | 9% | ~288,000 EUR |
| 30 staff | 5,000,000 EUR | 8% | ~400,000 EUR |
Even recovering half of that time amply covers the cost of a custom tool. That's why time management is often the first profitable module of a firm platform.
What the tool saves
The gain plays out on two fronts: capture more time, and bill faster and more accurately.
| Function | Effect | Estimated gain |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in timer + mobile entry | +6 to +10% time captured | high |
| Unlogged-time reminders | +2 to +4% | medium |
| Automated monthly billing | -10 days payment delay | high |
| Fee rules per engagement type | -50% invoice errors | medium |
| Automatic payment reminders | -20% unpaid at 60 days | medium |
| Billable-time dashboard | real-time control | medium |
On top of these gains comes reduced billing disputes: a detailed invoice, auto-generated from logged time, is challenged far less than an opaque fixed fee sent at engagement end.
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Mini case study
Élodie, manager of a 12-person consulting agency in Toulouse, bills 1.8M EUR per year. She conservatively estimates that 10% of billable time is never logged and that her invoices go out 3 weeks late. She invests 46,000 EUR in a custom tool: per-engagement timer, mobile entry, automated billing and reminders. Within a year, captured time rises by 6 points — ~108,000 EUR of recovered revenue — and billing delay drops to 3 days. The tool pays for itself in under 6 months, before the cash-flow improvement.
FAQ
Isn't a spreadsheet or free tool enough? They track time but don't capture it when it happens, and don't automate billing. Lost revenue comes precisely from time not logged in real time: that's where custom pays.
Why not a market time-tracking tool? It's a valid way to start. Custom is justified when your fee rules, billing and accounting integrations are specific, or to consolidate everything into one firm platform.
How long to recoup the tool? For a firm billing over a million euros, revenue recovery often exceeds the tool's cost in 4 to 9 months. The ROI is among the fastest in business software.
What development timeline? A custom time + billing module ships in 8 to 16 weeks depending on integrations (accounting, e-signature, online payment).
Does the tool really reduce unpaid invoices? Yes: faster billing, automatic reminders and detailed invoices markedly cut delays and disputes, improving cash flow.
Let's scope your project. Give us your headcount, billable revenue and your estimate of lost time: we'll price a time-tracking and billing tool that recovers that revenue. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
